1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a collapsible cable reel for use in storing, shipping, inventorying, and dispensing insulated electrical wire, cable, and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Barrel reels are extensively used for storing and transporting electrical and steel cables and wires and the like. Barrel reels typically consist of a cylindrical drum portion upon which the cable or wire is wound and spaced-apart flanges extending in a perpendicular, radial direction from the respective ends of the drum portion. Barrel reels have been formed from a wide variety of materials, including metal, wood, and cardboard.
Unfortunately, because of the excessive size and bulk of conventional barrel reels, it is often economically infeasible to store and transport conventional reels to wire manufacturers or suppliers for re-use after the cable or wire has been removed therefrom. Consequently, the disposal of conventional reels after only a single use results in a wasteful accumulation of reels. Moreover, the need to manufacture new reels is economically inefficient and inflicts harmful effects on the environment.
In order to overcome these problems, several efforts have been made to design a collapsible, recyclable barrel reel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,086 issued to Vesely discloses a collapsible reel that includes opposing flanges connected by strut assemblies that are pivotally connected at a split along their mid-portions. A bolt/spring arrangement maintains the connection of the barrel members to their flanges. The pivotal connections allow the reel to pivot between a closed position and an open, extended position. U.S. Pat. No. 2,909,340 issued to Whitaker illustrates a collapsible wire reel having a collapsible metallic reel element composed of a plurality of wedge-shaped sector pairs. For each sector pair, the outer ends of the sectors are secured in slots of the flanges, while the inner ends of the sectors are connected by hinges to one another.
However, the above-mentioned barrel folding reels, as well as other conventional barrel folding reels, require a large number of parts in order to effectuate the collapsing movement. In addition, these barrel folding reels typically cannot be moved into a collapsible position absent the use of expensive tools and the assistance of several persons.